Katie E.

Tacoma Center YMCA

When Katie first joined the Y, she was intimidated by the unknown. She admits that it took a lot to challenge herself to become healthier at first, and now she truly enjoys her established routine.

After six months of making the Y part of her regimen, Katie has seen incredible results. She lost 61 pounds and developed better eating habits in the process of becoming an overall healthier person.

As part of the journey, Katie is now going to school to become a chemical dependency counselor. A former addict who recently celebrated two years sober, Katie wants to give back to help those in a similar situation that she was able to overcome.

"I just started walking on the treadmill and now run up to two miles at a time," said Katie. "It is important for people to understand that everyday is trying to improve and be better than yesterday."